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Ryan Knaus

Saturday Dose

Rumors about Rudy

The trade deadline is just over a month away and there are only a few rumors to pass along, but forward-thinking fantasy owners should be keeping an eye on those players most likely to erupt in case of a fortuitous trade. Some tidbits from Friday’s games are scattered throughout this section, but if you’re looking for straight-forward news and analysis, head to the next page.

Rudy Gay is suddenly the first name uttered whenever NBA trade rumors are discussed. It seems half the league has inquired about trading for him despite a contract which pays him roughly $37.1 million over the next two seasons. The Grizzlies don't have a starting-caliber SF on their bench, so they would likely require one as part of any deal (along with salary cap relief, young players and/or draft picks). The Raptors, rich with young talent and in need of a go-to guy, were linked to Gay but are now "unlikely" to acquire him. The Wizards supposedly put together a package involving Bradley Beal, but that rumor has been denied by multiple sources. The Bobcats are interested but may not have enough assets, and a handful of other teams (Cavaliers, Celtics, Wolves, Kings, Warriors and Suns) have made inquiries that fall somewhere between 'due diligence' and 'just saying hi.'

After receiving these offers from teams around the league, solicited or otherwise, the Memphis Commercial-Appeal reports that the Grizzlies will "likely" keep Gay the rest of the season. Trading the centerpiece of a legitimate playoff contender would be very unpopular with the team's long-suffering fans, and it would go directly against the wishes of Lionel Hollins and the players themselves, so it's no surprise that they're leaning toward keeping the team together. Barring a major injury, Gay will still be a highly desirable and tradable asset in 2013-14.

In slightly more substantial rumor-mongering, the Jazz are reportedly more willing to trade Al Jefferson than Paul Millsap, which makes sense considering either trade would be largely intended to free up minutes for Derrick Favors, who operates best when he's camped out in the paint. Favors has low-end value even in his current role playing 20+ minutes off the bench, mostly due to excellent per-minute steals and blocks, and he makes a very nice stash until the trade deadline passes. Enes Kanter should also be watched closely in deep leagues, as his 14 minutes per game would spike if Big Al were traded.

The Wolves are "heavily" shopping Derrick Williams around the league, which is no surprise. Unfortunately, his play this season, even with Kevin Love absent, has been uninspiring. The concerns about his being a 'tweener' in the NBA (too small to play PF, too slow to play SF) seem more prescient every day. The fact that Minnesota was starting Dante Cunningham ahead of him is telling, though D-Will is now being transparently 'showcased' as the starting PF. I doubt he'll have value this season regardless of where he lands, and his departure would do little more than shift some minutes back to Cunningham.

Miami reportedly wants to keep their core intact this season, which scuttles any rumors that they're willing to trade Chris Bosh in order to beef up their frontcourt. The Heat rank 29th in the NBA in rebounds per game (38.8) this season, and they're 25th in rebound differential (-3.2). In the past 10 games, despite an obvious focus on the battle of the boards, Miami's differential has plunged even further to -7.5 rebounds per game. It's a problem that will only be magnified in the playoffs, and it's hard to see how they'll address the issue without a trade.

Anderson Varejao was a premier trade candidate prior to suffering a split quad muscle that required surgery. It’s now very unlikely that he’ll be moved, however, since he's out until late February or early March and Cleveland would have to trade him at a steep discount. Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson are doing everything they can for the Cavs in the meantime. Zeller is averaging over 34 minutes per game in the past month, but his fantasy value is spoiled by awful 35.7 percent shooting -- he has a long way to go before knocking down mid-range jumpers like Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Thompson, on the other hand, has been a reliable 7th-round value for the past month, scoring 13.9 points on 52.3 percent shooting, with 12.1 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. He jumps even higher if you're willing to punt his 66 percent FT shooting.

Wilson Chandler had just four points and five rebounds in 20 minutes on Friday, returning from a precautionary one-game absence. He chipped in a steal and a block, which along with his 3-point range give him nice upside, but he faces too much competition to be owned in standard leagues. Keep an eye on him in the coming weeks, however, as he could become a valuable trade chip for Denver -- he's healthy, he's versatile enough to play multiple positions, and his contract isn't too bad, paying him $13.1 million over the next two seasons, with just $2 million guaranteed in 2015-16.

A recent rumor suggested that Leandro Barbosa had demanded a trade from the Celtics, but that has since been denied by numerous sources, including Barbosa himself and Celts GM Danny Ainge. Rajon Rondo's name hasn't surfaced in any trade talks, mercifully, and Paul Pierce's name has only drifted through the rumor mill. The Celtics improved play with Avery Bradley in the starting lineup seems to be cooling any thought of Ainge blowing up the team.

Trade Talk

The trade deadline is just over a month away and there are only a few rumors to pass along, but forward-thinking fantasy owners should be keeping an eye on those players most likely to erupt in case of a fortuitous trade. Some tidbits from Friday’s games are scattered throughout this section, but if you’re looking for straight-forward news and analysis, head to the next page.

Rudy Gay is suddenly the first name uttered whenever NBA trade rumors are discussed. It seems half the league has inquired about trading for him despite a contract which pays him roughly $37.1 million over the next two seasons. The Grizzlies don't have a starting-caliber SF on their bench, so they would likely require one as part of any deal (along with salary cap relief, young players and/or draft picks). The Raptors, rich with young talent and in need of a go-to guy, were linked to Gay but are now "unlikely" to acquire him. The Wizards supposedly put together a package involving Bradley Beal, but that rumor has been denied by multiple sources. The Bobcats are interested but may not have enough assets, and a handful of other teams (Cavaliers, Celtics, Wolves, Kings, Warriors and Suns) have made inquiries that fall somewhere between 'due diligence' and 'just saying hi.'

After receiving these offers from teams around the league, solicited or otherwise, the Memphis Commercial-Appeal reports that the Grizzlies will "likely" keep Gay the rest of the season. Trading the centerpiece of a legitimate playoff contender would be very unpopular with the team's long-suffering fans, and it would go directly against the wishes of Lionel Hollins and the players themselves, so it's no surprise that they're leaning toward keeping the team together. Barring a major injury, Gay will still be a highly desirable and tradable asset in 2013-14.

In slightly more substantial rumor-mongering, the Jazz are reportedly more willing to trade Al Jefferson than Paul Millsap, which makes sense considering either trade would be largely intended to free up minutes for Derrick Favors, who operates best when he's camped out in the paint. Favors has low-end value even in his current role playing 20+ minutes off the bench, mostly due to excellent per-minute steals and blocks, and he makes a very nice stash until the trade deadline passes. Enes Kanter should also be watched closely in deep leagues, as his 14 minutes per game would spike if Big Al were traded.

The Wolves are "heavily" shopping Derrick Williams around the league, which is no surprise. Unfortunately, his play this season, even with Kevin Love absent, has been uninspiring. The concerns about his being a 'tweener' in the NBA (too small to play PF, too slow to play SF) seem more prescient every day. The fact that Minnesota was starting Dante Cunningham ahead of him is telling, though D-Will is now being transparently 'showcased' as the starting PF. I doubt he'll have value this season regardless of where he lands, and his departure would do little more than shift some minutes back to Cunningham.

Miami reportedly wants to keep their core intact this season, which scuttles any rumors that they're willing to trade Chris Bosh in order to beef up their frontcourt. The Heat rank 29th in the NBA in rebounds per game (38.8) this season, and they're 25th in rebound differential (-3.2). In the past 10 games, despite an obvious focus on the battle of the boards, Miami's differential has plunged even further to -7.5 rebounds per game. It's a problem that will only be magnified in the playoffs, and it's hard to see how they'll address the issue without a trade.

Anderson Varejao was a premier trade candidate prior to suffering a split quad muscle that required surgery. It’s now very unlikely that he’ll be moved, however, since he's out until late February or early March and Cleveland would have to trade him at a steep discount. Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson are doing everything they can for the Cavs in the meantime. Zeller is averaging over 34 minutes per game in the past month, but his fantasy value is spoiled by awful 35.7 percent shooting -- he has a long way to go before knocking down mid-range jumpers like Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Thompson, on the other hand, has been a reliable 7th-round value for the past month, scoring 13.9 points on 52.3 percent shooting, with 12.1 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. He jumps even higher if you're willing to punt his 66 percent FT shooting.

Wilson Chandler had just four points and five rebounds in 20 minutes on Friday, returning from a precautionary one-game absence. He chipped in a steal and a block, which along with his 3-point range give him nice upside, but he faces too much competition to be owned in standard leagues. Keep an eye on him in the coming weeks, however, as he could become a valuable trade chip for Denver -- he's healthy, he's versatile enough to play multiple positions, and his contract isn't too bad, paying him $13.1 million over the next two seasons, with just $2 million guaranteed in 2015-16.

A recent rumor suggested that Leandro Barbosa had demanded a trade from the Celtics, but that has since been denied by numerous sources, including Barbosa himself and Celts GM Danny Ainge. Rajon Rondo's name hasn't surfaced in any trade talks, mercifully, and Paul Pierce's name has only drifted through the rumor mill. The Celtics improved play with Avery Bradley in the starting lineup seems to be cooling any thought of Ainge blowing up the team.

Friday News and Notes

This isn’t a comprehensive summary of Friday’s games, but I hope to discuss all of the highs and lows of a relatively light nine-game evening. The first tidbit pertains to Thursday, however, when Brandon Knight was benched for the final 20 minutes of the game. Lawrence Frank said he was looking for a "spark," which Will Bynum did provide, and this isn't likely to become a routine occurrence. That said, I would have cut Knight in fantasy leagues a long time ago, and this latest development should finally prompt owners to dump him (or trade him, if possible, since he still seems to be overvalued). In his last 11 games, Knight is scoring 11.7 points with 1.3 threes, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.6 steals per game. Those mediocre numbers are weighed down by 39 percent FGs and 72 percent FTs, which puts his fantasy value squarely in the 200s. If you aren't playing in a deep league, he's a liability.

Now let's move on to Friday's games, in which Vince Carter blew up for 29 points, four 3s, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. The veteran swingman is posting reliable mid-round value, but he doesn't usually have eye-catching numbers and he's still available in many leagues. I have no idea what's causing this mini-renaissance from Vinsanity, and he still has terrible moments defensively, but fans in Phoenix and Orlando can only wonder why he didn't play at this level the past few years.

Kevin Durant scored a career-high 52 points on Friday, including a ridiculous 21-of-21 from the FT line. He didn't shoot well (13-of-31) but he added nine rebounds and two steals. It's a bit surprising that he hadn't scored 52 points in a game before, but that's the impact of playing alongside Russell Westbrook, who continues to attempt more shots per game than Durant (18.8 vs. 18.5). This was also Durant's 26th career game with at least 40 points, not a shabby total for a five-year veteran. The gaudy FT shooting highlights the reason KD has become the unquestioned No. 1 player in fantasy basketball -- he's attempting 9.1 freebies per game this season (third in the NBA behind Dwight Howard and James Harden) and he's making 90.6 percent of them. Compare that to the overall No. 2 fantasy player, LeBron James, who makes 73.4 percent of his 6.3 attempts per game.

Kevin Seraphin scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds on Friday, playing a critical role in Washington's upset win vs. the Nuggets. He's averaging a respectable 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in January, but he's still playing under 29 minutes per game and Friday's 7-of-11 shooting was unusually efficient (45.4 percent on the season). I'm in favor of owning him, as Nene and Emeka Okafor are bound to fade eventually, but it could be a bumpy ride until the All-Star break. One final note -- Seraphin is a career 69.7 percent shooter from the FT line, but he's made 17-of-18 FTs in January.

John Wall notched 14 points and 12 assists vs. the Nuggets, adding four rebounds and two blocks in 26 minutes off the bench. The Wizards are 3-1 with him in the lineup and he now has two consecutive double-doubles with a handful of steals and blocks. Fantasy owners may cringe at his turnover totals (six on Friday) but his minutes are slowly increasing and he should be in all fantasy lineups.

Jarrett Jack had 20 points and 10 assists in a fill-in start for Steph Curry (ankle) vs. the Spurs. It goes without saying that Curry's ankle injury could lead to a long-term absence, and the Warriors have yet to peg a return date. In the meantime, Jack is an absolute must-own, must-start fantasy PG. As a reference point, consider that in 39 starts last season he averaged 16.0 points, 0.8 threes, 3.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 0.7 steals.

Jordan Crawford (ankle) returned on Friday but had just eight points and two assists in 17 minutes. He's playing behind red-hot Bradley Beal and his playmaking duties have been usurped by John Wall, which means that the volume-shooter belongs on the waiver wire.

Bradley Beal scored 23 points vs. Denver, making 8-of-13 FGs with four 3-pointers. I dropped him about a month ago in a few leagues, in a spasm of short-sightedness and anger brought on by his lousy FG percentage, but he's been dominant lately. It's worth re-iterating this tidbit from Rotoworld's player news page last night: "In his last five games, Beal shot 52.9 percent from the field for 20.8 points to with 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.4 triples." The return of Jordan Crawford may make a small dent in those numbers, and he won't stay this hot forever, but he's a great fit alongside John Wall and makes for a very exciting guy to own, especially in keeper leagues.

Isaiah Thomas had nine points and five assists in 29 minutes vs. the Grizzlies, the latest in a string of disappointing games. We've been harping about his lack of playing time all season, but he's finally getting decent burn as the starting PG (Aaron Brooks played a negligible role off the bench on Friday). His lack of engagement offensively is deadening his output and there are too many team-wide issues to expect a sudden sustained outbreak, so I'm fine cutting Thomas (again) for a hot free agent. Be mindful, though, that he could have some luck on Saturday against a horrible Bobcats defense that allows the second-most points in the league (103.4), ranks dead last in Defensive Efficiency, and gives up more assists (25.3) and 3-pointers (9.5) than any other team. Charlotte is particularly bad at defending spot-up and isolation plays, which account for about 1/3 of the Kings' total offense, so there's definite reason to expect a one-game burst from Isaiah and co.

Elsewhere on Friday, Marcus Thornton scored two points on 1-of-8 shooting in 20 minutes, and Tyreke Evans had eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. Evans has resumed starting and has mixed in a few nice games with a few duds since his return, and overall he's worth plugging into lineups and hoping for the best. Unfortunately, I can't advocate holding Thornton in his current role, as he's yet to sustain value for any length of time this season. It's not likely to happen while John Salmons (31 minutes) continues to play a big role for the ironically named Keith Smart.

Rajon Rondo led Boston with 30 points on 12-of-21 shooting, taking full advantage of Chicago's depleted backcourt. It was a season-high in scoring for Rondo, who dished out 'only' seven assists. He took a knee to the head during a tumble late in the game, however, and although post-game reports indicated he's fine, I'm keeping a close eye on him.

Jameer Nelson scored 22 points with four 3-pointers, five rebounds and seven assists on Friday, but he also aggravated his left hip injury. He didn't practice on Saturday and his status for Sunday's game vs. the Mavericks is up in the air, which is a tough break considering he's been red-hot for the past few weeks.

Devin Harris scored 17 points with three 3-pointers, three rebounds and three assists vs. Brooklyn, and his stock shot upward due to Lou Williams' unfortunate knee injury. X-rays were negative but we're awaiting a firm timetable for Sweet Lou, and in the meantime owners should grab Devin off the waiver wire. Jeff Teague also gets a boost if Williams misses any games, and he had 21 & 10 on Friday, but he's surely owned in all but the shallowest formats.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had just four points in 23 minutes vs. the Magic, the latest in a long line of duds this season. His overall value this season is still hovering in the late rounds, however, thanks to 10.4 points on solid percentages, 6.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27 minutes per game. It's almost certain that his role will increase as we head into the second half of the season, which gives him nice ROS upside. His declining foul totals are another encouraging facet of his game -- he's averaging just 1.6 fouls per game in January, down from 2.6 in November and December. He's starting to figure things out, and could get a short-term boost if Gerald Henderson (back) is forced to miss any games -- Hendu left Friday's contest after his back "locked up" on him, but not before scoring 17 points with three rebounds.

Thaddeus Young blew up vs. Toronto, scoring 27 points on 13-of-19 shooting with 14 rebounds, three steals and a block. Jrue Holiday scored 33 points, including the Sixers' final 14 points, while grabbing five rebounds, handing out 14 assists, and stealing the ball three times. Nasty. It's nice to see Philly in the win column, and fantasy owners can't complain with these gaudy lines from the team's most dependable players, but fans can't be encouraged by the need for an overtime period to knock off the sub-par Raptors.

Andre Iguodala had four rebounds, four assists, five steals and one block on Friday, but he shot 0-of-4 from the field and scored just two points. The dip in scoring isn't too concerning, considering his versatile fantasy game. He played only 30 minutes for the second consecutive game, but he was in foul trouble on Friday and I wouldn't read too much into this brief lull.

Kenneth Faried, however, seems to be suffering a bit from the return of Wilson Chandler. He's still playing a shade under 30 minutes per game, in line with his season average, but (in a development that's been largely overlooked) George Karl is deploying Chandler primarily as a backup PF, not as a SG or SF. In every single half since his return, Chandler has replaced Faried in the lineup, though in some cases they end up playing together in small-ball lineups with Faried as an ostensible center. There's not much to be worried about yet, but George Karl can now afford to keep Faried on a somewhat shorter leash.

Finally, here is a quick list of injury updates from Saturday morning:

Avery Bradley (bruised ribs) is doubtful for Sunday. He’s slated for another round of X-rays, which is mildly alarming.

Dante Cunningham (illness) is a game-time decision on Saturday. Derrick Williams has already moved into the starting PF spot ahead of Cunningham, so there’s not much upside in gambling on him this weekend.

Despite residing in Portland, Maine, Ryan Knaus remains a heartbroken Sonics fan who longs for the days of Shawn Kemp and Xavier McDaniel. He has written for Rotoworld.com since 2007. You can follow him on Twitter.Email :Ryan Knaus